


With a Friend in the Dark

by Oh_Toasty



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, The Guardians are good friends, The Rogue Avengers, They kinda suck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 07:20:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10871868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oh_Toasty/pseuds/Oh_Toasty
Summary: "I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than walk alone in the light" ~Helen Keller~~~Tony meets the Guardians of the Galaxy.





	With a Friend in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for a prompt: Fic Request: Tony loved, supported, and protected by the guardians of the galaxy, while Team Cap tries to fight (unsuccessfully) for Tony's attention

Tony meets the so called ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ when their ship crashes and the UN sends the Avengers to investigate. Of course by this point the Avengers are simply Vision and Tony, occasionally Peter, but they go anyways Tony once again forcing himself to put on the suit and ignore the memories of the chest plate being ground down into the tender scar tissue below. 

Vision leans forwards to rip the door of the ship open right as it's inhabitant throws it open. Tony can't help but start as he makes direct eye contact with what appears to be a raccoon with a gun. 

He hesitates only for a moment before clearing his throat. “Do you speak English?”

“What planet is this,” the Racoon asks before he turns his head back to scream into the ship. “Quill, come deal with these things!”

“This is Earth,” Vision answers serenely as Tony attempts to process that the animal does in fact speak. “May we ask why you've landed here?”

The raccoon opens his mouth to reply, but is cut off by the appearance of a green woman who snaps at him. “Say nothing Rocket, we know nothing about them.”

“This isn't my first rodeo,” the animal, Rocket, snarls at her. 

“I am the Vision, and this is Ironman,” the android introduces them. “We've been sent by the United Nations to determine whether you pose a threat to society.”

“Depends,” Rocket smiles, “Got any shit for us to steal?”

A man, who appears to be human, suddenly surfaces behind the other two. “Sorry I took so long, what's this about?” 

“What's your intent here on earth?” Tony finally asks as he takes off the helmet to make eye contact with him. “Because I have a ton of other shit right now and I don't need to deal with another alien invasion.”

“I'm Peter,” the man tells them. Then he jerks a thumb at his two companions, “This is Gamora, and that's Rocket. We also have Groot and Drax onboard. We weren't actually planning on invading we kinda crashed.”

Tony digs the heels of his hands into his eyes, “How long will it take you to repair your ship?” 

“I don't know,” Rocket scowls, “You showed up and interrupted me in the middle of the diagnostics!”

“A week?” Peter guesses with a shrug. “The thermal protection unit is down.” 

“Very well,” Vision says, “We'll have to request you come meet with the UN than, at the very least so that we can prevent a global panic.”

“Another one, you mean.” Tony mutters under his breath his eyes flicking down towards his chest. 

Eventually, the Avengers manage to get all of the Guardians except for Drax to come with them. The Guardians simply refused to leave the ship alone, and decided that Drax’s literalness would contribute the most confusion to their discussion with the UN. 

Tony does his best not to stare at the fact that the plant Rocket is carrying is most definitely alive and moving. Instead he focuses on what happening in the UN meeting, trying not to remember what happened with the last group of so called heros you he'd been here with. 

Eventually, everything is sorted out except for where the ship repairs and Guardians housing will be. Tony hasn't been listening for a while now, not when Vision’s voice still makes him mourn for Jarvis. 

“We could stay with Mr. Stark,” Quill says, catching his attention.   
Tony bites his lip. “The compound is available, and Vis can keep an eye on them when I'm gone.”

And that's that, Tony finds himself caring for yet another superhero team.

However this team tries not to take advantage of him, promising to compensate him once they figure out how to convert credits to American momdollars. 

Tony can't help but become fast friends with them all. It's not like with the Avengers where they didn't understand how much effort she Tony put into their care. These criminal heros he met days ago somehow manage to be more thoughtful than a team of superheroes he'd known for years. 

It isn't automatic, but Tony comes to appreciate all of the guardians in a way he never could the Avengers. Rocket and him share a love of mechanics, Peter and him for music. He has a healthy respect for Gamora who reminds him of how Natasha could've been. As for Drax and Groots, he finds them funny and cute respectively.

At When the Guardians repair their ship, Tony can't help the sadness that fills him. He knows they have to leave, has been anticipating it, but he still can't help but wish they could stay longer.

“Don't worry,” Peter winks at him, “We’ll be back soon.” 

And they are; the Guardians attempt to visit once a month minimum, often bringing him and Vision small trinkets from their travels. 

“Do I want to know where you got this?” Tony asks once. 

There's a small pause on Peter’s end, “Probably not.”

“You know what,” Tony sighs, “It's not my Jurisdiction, i only work on Earth.”

When they return and discover that the Rouge Avengers are due to come back for trial next week, they refuse to leave. 

“As if we would leave you to deal with them alone,” Gamora grumbles when Tony asks why. “We're friends.”

Tony manages to secure permission from the UN for the Guardians to come with him when the time for the prison transfer occurs. The Rouge Avengers had turned themselves in, and so T’challa would hand them over to Tony to bring to the UN today. Still, Tony didn't want to be their alone. He couldn't help that when he looked at them all he could see is red. 

“They don't deserve your respect,” Rocket tells him. “If they only turned themselves in after years of you revising the accords, of working for this, than they're assholes who don't really believe in the accords. Don't respect them, and don't trust them.”

“I am Groot!”

The Guardians and Vision stand behind Tony as he talks to T’challa and forces the Rouge Avengers to wait on him. 

“Tony,” Steve calls out when he steps into the empty tarmac they're meeting. 

Rockets words echo in his head as Tony ignores Steve; he's a criminal after all, and not even a simple thief like the Guardians. Steve is a terrorist, through and through. 

“Thank you for overseeing their arrest, King T’challa,” Tony says as he firmly shakes the other man's hand. 

“Thank you for taking them,” T’challa says. “I am glad that we were able to work this out.”

There's a snort behind Tony and a snide, “about time,” that Tony knows comes from Peter. 

Both T’challa and Tony ignore him in favor of making their way over to the Rogues. 

“Follow me,” Tony demands coolly before turning on a heel and making his way to the quinjet. 

“Tony,” Steve calls out as they board, “How are you, how's Rhodey?”

“Don't say his name!” Tony hisses, glaring at him. 

Drax comes to stand behind Tony, “I would sit down now, so we can secure your restraints”. 

Steve glares at him defiantly, before finally taking a seat. The Guardians walk around to ensure none of the rogues can make any kind of escape, before they are content enough to sit back and watch from a distance. 

“Are these really necessary?” Clint asks, shaking his hands and with them the chains that hang down. 

“Yes,” Gamora tells him glaring. “And if you move I will not hesitate to harm you.”

Clint slowly lowers his arms and Wanda glowers at Tony, “So these are the kinds of people you work with now, alien thugs who are willing to hurt normal humans.”

“Better than terrorists,” Tony informs her bitingly. “Besides, she threatened to restrain a known criminal with a history of violence whereas with you guys I couldn't even be sure that one wouldn't be invited to live in my home.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Steve asks, and he sounds so confused. 

Peter rolls his eyes, “It means Wanda messed with his mind and worked with Nazi’s but you still invited her to live with him. We understand friendship, we wouldn't do that to him”. 

“That isn't how it-”

“Shut up!” Rocket screams, “No one gives a shit what you have to say.”

There's a brief silence, until Vision speaks up. 

“Thank you, Rocket.”


End file.
